EVENT DETAILS

LAVA Breakfast Meeting
CEOs Talk Startups 

Tuesday January 12, 2010
7:00am - 9:00am

Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (map)

Generously Sponsored by:

CEOs Talk Startups ...what mistakes did they make and what lessons can they share when it is your turn?

Discussion on start up issues including i) team building and recruiting, ii) business plan issues, iii) developing a concise message, iv) building credibility (with customers, partners, employees and early investors), v) getting the business model to work properly, and vi) finally getting funded. What mistakes did you make during in the early days and what lessons would you pass on another entrepreneur?

Moderators

• Greg Martin, General Partner, Redpoint Ventures
• Dana Settle, Partner, Greycroft Partners

Current Confirmed Panelists

• Wil Schroter, Founder and CEO, Go BIG Media and GotCast.com
• Marc Diana, Founder, CEO, LeadPoint, Inc.
• Keith Richman, CEO, Break.com
• Matthew Dusig, CEO, Co-founder, United Sample, Inc.
  

Moderator Profiles

	Greg Martin General Partner Redpoint Ventures   Greg Martin is a Partner with Redpoint Ventures in Los Angeles, focusing on information technology, digital media, next generation advertising and cleantech investments. Prior to joining Redpoint, Greg was an Associate with Brentwood Venture Capital, a firm he joined in 1999.   Greg is a Director or observer of the following Redpoint portfolio companies: Leadpoint, WebVisible, Networks-in-Motion, Socialvibe.com, Impact Radius, 2tor, SOA Software and LivePlanet. Greg was previously a Director of TelASIC Communications (sold to MTI).   Prior to joining Brentwood Venture Capital, Greg worked with an Angel Investor focusing on early-stage Internet and telecommunications investments. Previously, Greg was an Investment Banker with Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette's Technology Group in Menlo Park and before that with Smith Barney in their International M&A and Cross Border Transactions Group. Greg has also owned and operated a high-end men's clothing franchise in the Los Angeles area.   Greg currently serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA) and is an Advisory Board member of the Tech Coast Angels and the San Diego Venture Group.   Greg is a Carter Scholar from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA. Greg also holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree, with a concentration in Information Systems and Accounting, from the University of Calgary.
	Dana Settle Partner Greycroft Partners   Dana Settle is a Partner with Greycroft Partners. She is based out of Los Angeles and oversees the fund’s West Coast investments.   Prior to joining Greycroft, Dana spent several years as a venture capitalist and advisor to startup companies, first as a Venture Partner with Mayfield, where she focused on early stage companies in the mobile communications and consumer Internet markets, and later as a Partner with VSP Capital.   As a venture capitalist, Dana invested in and advised several portfolio companies, including MobileStar (sold to TMobile), Revenue Science, Trigo (sold to IBM), Truveo (sold to AOL) and Doppelganger. Dana's additional experience includes investment banking at Lehman Brothers in the media and communications group and international business development at McCaw Cellular Communications.   Dana holds a BA in Finance and International Studies from the University of Washington and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Panelist Profiles

	Wil Schroter Founder and CEO Go BIG Media and GotCast.com    Wil Schroter is a serial entrepreneur. At age 19, while a still a student at the Ohio State University, he began his first company, Blue Diesel, an interactive marketing agency serving clients such as Best Buy, BMW, and Eli Lilly. As CEO of the company, Wil grew Blue Diesel from his dorm room beginnings to over $50 million in capitalized billings in just over 5 years without investment. At the end of 2002, Wil sold Blue Diesel to Columbus-based, inChord, an advertising agency holding company. In 1997, while still leading Blue Diesel’s growth, Wil also co-founded Kelltech Internet Services a technology consulting company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Kelltech was sold three years later to GTCR, a venture capital company, at a value of over $10 million. In 2003, Wil joined Swapalease.com as its CEO to grow the company from inception to over $2 billion in listed auto leases. Swapalease went on to become the world’s largest automotive leasing destination in less than three years. In 2004 Wil founded the Go BIG Network, an on-line portal that connects startup companies to investors, job seekers, advisors and service providers in real time. Today he is the Founder & CEO of the Go BIG Network (goBIGnetwork.com) which has quickly grown to include tens of thousands of startup companies.  Also Wil is Founder and CEO of GotCast.com.   GotCast.com is a Web-based casting service that connects talent with on-camera roles. GotCast helps networks like NBC, VH1, MTV, E! and others find new talent by allowing individuals to post a comprehensive audition profile on the site. Talent can then submit themselves to any role directly on-line. In addition to creating startup companies, Wil loves to write about them. He is the author of “Go BIG or Go HOME!”, a book that details the strategies behind the fastest growing companies. He is also a nationally syndicated columnist, whose bi-weekly column appears in newspapers across 42 major cities. Wil has been named the “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Association and is has also been recognized by the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year program. Wil maintains a blog at WilSchroter.com
	Marc Diana Founder, CEO LeadPoint, Inc.   Mr. Diana has utilized his extensive experience over the last decade in the interactive marketplace to launch LeadPoint.com. Mr. Diana most recently served in a business and corporate development capacity for eCompanies venture LowerMyBills.com. Mr. Diana also spent several years as Vice President of Business and Corporate Development for Innovent Group, an early stage investment and management company. He previously co-founded and served as President and board member for Broadband Studios, as well as led the formation of strategic alliances and the acquisition of new business relationships as the Director of Business Development at iXL.  As an interactive expert, Mr. Diana has lent his expertise to a variety of industries including retail, travel, finance, media, manufacturing and the entertainment fields. He has assisted companies including Twentieth Century Fox, Mitsubishi, Staples, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Technicolor, Kia Motors, Mirage Resorts, Electronic Arts, Mattel, Charter Communications, DirecTV, Countrywide Home Loans, Disney and Warner Bros.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Diana also served on the founding team for National Geographic Interactive, where he managed sales, marketing and distribution. He also held marketing and sales positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment
	Keith Richman CEO Break.com   Keith Richman, a recognized industry leader and successful entrepreneur, is chief executive officer for Break.com (formerly Big-Boys.com). Keith is responsible for providing the company’s overall strategic direction and leading the company in the areas of business development and marketing. Since launching Break, Keith has grown the site to one of the world’s most trafficked online entertainment destinations with more than 13 million unique visitors and 600 million page impressions each month. He was a pioneer in enabling the use of video content on user-generated sites and was also the first to develop the paid content model for the user-generated market. Prior to co-founding Break.com, Keith was the Director of Business Development for Billpoint Inc. Keith was integral in developing the business plan and raising venture funding, which ultimately led to the company’s successful acquisition by eBay in 1999. Previous posts also include Business Development Manager at Excite and Classifieds2000, as well as director of Corporate Planning at the Walt Disney Company, where he focused on consumer products, cable and emerging media. A sought-after panelist at top industry conferences, Keith is considered an leading expert in marketing to the coveted young male demographic; he was recently included in TV Week’s 2006 Hot List and recognized in the prestigious annual "40 Under 40" by Multichannel News. Keith holds an MA and a BA from Stanford in International Policy Studies and resides in Los Angeles with his wife.
	Matthew Dusig CEO, Co-founder United Sample, Inc.   As Co-Founder and CEO of uSamp (United Sample), Matt Dusig oversees technology, marketing, operations and corporate business development.  With a key focus on product development, he is the visionary and leader for all software initiatives.    In 1999, as the co-founder and president of goZing.com, Dusig oversaw all technology development, marketing, strategic and corporate development.  At goZing, revenues zoomed from zero at start-up to $13 million in 2004.  In 2005, Dusig and Gregg Lavin sold goZing to Greenfield Online, an industry competitor.    Prior to co-founding goZing, Dusig worked in sales and marketing at Progressive Title Company, a Fred Sands Company, where his knowledge of computer software programs and real estate marketing assisted Realtors® in growing their revenue targets.    Dusig is also a co-founder of several online consumer services ventures under the Webtigo umbrella.  He holds a B.A. from Cal State Northridge and currently resides in Southern California with his wife and daughter.

Event Pricing 

Cancellation Policy

• Breakfast/Event cancellations must be received and confirmed by NOON the day before the breakfast/event to receive a refund. Email info@lava.org to submit a cancellation. Your cancellation is not effective until LAVA Member Services responds to confirm.
• No-shows and late cancellations will be charged the full breakfast/event price
• Late registrations (after the online pre-reg cutoff) are non-refundable

Payment Policy

Registrations must be made online via Credit Card - Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards are welcomed. In special circumstances, checks will be accepted before the event at the discretion of LAVA Member Services. Any checks not received in time will require credit card payment onsite.

Annual Sponsor Profiles

About Atenga

 

We have served clients spanning industries as diverse as professional services - consumer packaged goods to computer software to medical devices – all of whom share a desire to make more intelligent, higher-ROI pricing decisions. Our mission is to help companies make data-driven pricing and profitability decisions at the most granular possible level.

 

About Gemini Partners

 

Gemini Partners, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based boutique investment bank providing a wide range of value-added services to small and middle market private and public companies. Gemini is comprised of a select group of top Wall Street banking alumni, ex-corporate executives, and valuation experts with MBA’s from the nation’s leading institutions. Gemini Partners professionals possess decades of investment banking, operational, and financial advisory experience. At Gemini, we combine the expertise of a tier one Wall Street firm with the personal attention and service of a boutique company. Our engagements are characterized by a high level of hands-on involvement at the senior level to ensure superior execution. As a firm, we aim to provide a level of personalized attention that engenders long term trust.

 

In addition to our superior investment banking services, Gemini also has the capabilities to selectively invest in small and middle market companies. www.geminipartners.net

 

About Loeb & Loeb

 

Celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2009, we are a national law firm with nearly 300 attorneys focusing on select core industries and practice areas. The firm represents multi-national, Fortune 100 companies in their mid-market transactions and litigation matters, and serves as primary outside counsel to a multitude of mid-market clients. The firm also represents clients ranging from high tech start-ups to high net worth individuals and families. The firm has an established history and nationally-recognized reputation in the entertainment and media industry, and is highly regarded for its depth in financial services and real estate. Loeb & Loeb has four offices located in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Nashville, and has applied to open a representative office in Beijing. For more information, please visit www.loeb.com.

 

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a corporate, securities and technology law firm that combines technical excellence with a responsive, service-oriented and entrepreneurial attitude that is the hallmark of our Firm.

 

We are a strategic partner to our clients and have broad and extensive experience representing companies from start-up through liquidity in complex private and public transactions. We assess our clients’ business needs and develop innovative legal strategies to help them achieve their goals, directly undertaking those matters for which we have substantial expertise, and identifying and managing the most appropriate legal resources to handle specialty areas outside of our core disciplines. www.biztechlaw.com

 

About CBIZ Accounting, Tax & Advisory Services, LLC and Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

 

CBIZ Accounting, Tax & Advisory Services, LLC (CBIZ) is one of the largest providers of professional business services in the United States. CBIZ provides a full range of professional services to growing public and private companies, including: accounting, tax, valuation, M&A, internal audit services, and SOX compliance among other services. These services are provided throughout a network of more than 160 offices in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

 

Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. (MHM) provides attestation services by working through a close association with CBIZ. MHM is a national CPA firm, with more than 30 offices in key financial centers across the country. MHM was founded 50 years ago and has been helping emerging companies grow since its inception.

 

MHM specializes in providing high quality attest services, including auditing services for SEC registrants, companies considering going public and privately held companies with an emphasis on companies in the middle market. With a strong national presence and international capabilities through its international association, MHM provides clients with stability and access to extensive resources - all with first-rate responsiveness and personal attention.

 

MHM P.C.'s comprehensive range of services includes audits, reviews, compilations, projections, forecasts, litigation support, and agreed upon procedures. Together, CBIZ and MHM P.C. combined rank as one of the top ten accounting providers in the United States. www.mhm-pc.com

 

Toronto Stock Exchange... An exchange of opportunity

 

Toronto Stock Exchange is the right choice for issuers with solid track records of business management. Known for our high standards of transparency and fairness, and our innovative approaches to trading, TSX offers our approximately 1,500 senior issuers a dynamic market to raise capital. TSX issuers raised $46 billion in 2005, the third highest value of financings among members of the World Federation of Exchanges.

 

TSX is the global leader for listing mining and oil and gas companies operating around the world. Issuers list a number of different types of securities on TSX, including conventional securities and innovative equity-related products such as exchange-traded funds, income trusts and investment funds.

 

TSX provides opportunities to access public equity capital efficiently, liquidity for existing investors and the prestige and market exposure associated with Canada's senior exchange. www.tsx.com

 

SVB Financial Group provides diversified financial services to emerging growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine markets. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, SVB Financial Group provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients' success.

 

Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company offers its clients commercial, investment, merchant and private banking, as well as value-added services using its knowledge and networks. Merger, acquisition, private placement and corporate partnering services are provided through the company's investment banking subsidiary, SVB Alliant. Founded in 1983, SVB Financial Group serves nearly 11,000 clients around the world through 27 domestic offices, three international subsidiaries in the U.K., India and China, and an extensive network of relationships with venture capitalists in Asia, Australia, Europe, India, and Israel. www.svb.com

 

TroyGould is a prominent Century City law firm representing start-up to middle-market companies since 1970. Its corporate and securities group has considerable experience in organizing, structuring and financing early stage companies, as well as reverse mergers, IPOs, SPACs, PIPEs, Form 10 filings, mergers and acquisitions, private placements, tender offers, debt financings, proxy solicitations, exchange listings, equity compensation plans and general corporate matters. The firm also counsels these companies in IP, tax, real estate and employment matters and provides cost-effective litigation services in a variety of areas, including misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, securities and breach of contract. www.troygould.com

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 140,000 people in 149 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers is the service provider of choice to venture capital and private equity firms around the world. While we are known for providing specialized tax and assurance services to clients, we also recognize that venture capitalists succeed only when their portfolio succeeds. Consequently, our approach to serving venture capital and private equity clients is oriented around helping portfolio companies turn their visions into reality.

 

In that regard, PricewaterhouseCoopers has helped countless start-up companies develop their business plans, secure financing, execute their strategy, build value and create wealth through IPOs, merger transactions and other liquidity events. www.pwc.com

 

Nixon Peabody LLP is one of the largest multi-practice law firms in the United States, with 17 offices and over 700 attorneys working in 15 major practice areas.  The firm's size, diversity and state-of-the-art technical resources enable us to offer comprehensive legal services to organizations and individuals of all sizes in local, state, national and international matters.

 

Nixon Peabody's Venture Capital, Emerging Growth & Technology practice addresses California's emerging growth and technology marketing in a comprehensive and holistic manner - from the investor's side, as well as the portfolio company's side. We represent emerging growth companies from incorporation through initial public offering or acquisitions, and public companies on corporate and securities needs. We also have a nationally ranked practice representing venture capital funds.

 

Nixon Peabody's services for companies concentrate on corporate counseling, venture capital financing, domestic and international strategic transactions such as licensing and joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, PIPEs and public offerings, tax, executive compensation and employment law, intellectual property portfolio review and patent prosecution, and intellectual property litigation. Our services for venture capital firms consist of fund formation and management, portfolio company investments, board of directors and executive compensation matters, portfolio review, and intellectual property audits and representation.

 

FORTUNE® magazine named Nixon Peabody as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" two years in a row in 2006 and 2007. Our San Francisco office was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the "Best Place to Work" in 2006. For more information please visit us at www.nixonpeabody.com.